Prior art landing hazard displays concentrate on showing a user the actual hazards present in landing zones. For example, tall buildings, antennae, and power lines can be indicated such that a pilot or remote operator can take notice and avoid the hazard. Such hazard displays are incredibly valuable and have doubtless played a role in making air travel safer than highway travel. In a similar manner, spacecraft can be landed more reliably when the hazards around a selected landing zone are clearly marked. Spacecraft landing hazards tend to be mountains, craters, chasms, and other geological features.
Detecting or viewing hazards in landing zones is most crucial in the final stages of landing an aircraft or spacecraft because it is at this time that hazards in the landing area are most detectable and mishaps most imminent. Traditional displays like synthetic vision systems do not provide the necessary depth cues to allow pilots to assess risk from obstacles quickly and accurately. Systems and methods that aid users in rapidly understanding the hazard environment using two two-dimensional maps are needed, particularly when the user must quickly select a hazard free landing site.